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This invention relates to an electrical circuit for an electrically dischargeable primer and more particularly to a type of electrical circuit that can be used in either a purely electrically discharged primer, or a dual or combination electrically and/or mechanically discharged primer.
Typical ammunition for most firearms of the past is discharged through an impact of a mechanical firing pin or similar object on a cartridge""s primer. The impact causes a spark, within the primer, to ignite primer powder that in turn ignites gun powder contained within the cartridge casing. These typically involve an anvil of some sort and a foil which interacts with each other when the firing pin impacts the end of the primer. The rapid burn of the gunpowder within the cartridge casing creates the explosive force that propels the bullet from the cartridge and from the barrel of the firearm.
New firearms are being introduced that are electrically discharged. Rather than primers discharged by an impact from a mechanical firing pin, they require a primer that can be discharged by an electrical current. Standard ammunition using a percussion type primer will not work with an electrically discharged weapon and vice versa, purely electrically discharged primers will not work with a mechanical firing pin. As such, two different types of primers are now required, one electrically discharged and one impact or percussion discharged.
The majority of electrically dischargeable primers, known in the art, contain a wire filament. The filament is heated by an electrical current. The heated wire filament heats, burns and melts to ignite primer powder. The primer powder then in turn ignites the gun powder in the shell casing.
There is also known in the art conductive primer powders. These conductive powders are ignited by an electrical current going through the powder. These types of primers are not currently widely used.
The electrical circuit of this invention, in one preferred embodiment, can be used with a purely electrically discharged primer. In another embodiment, a dual dischargeable primer using the electrical circuit of this invention can be discharged by either an electrical current or a mechanical firing pin. The primary advantage to such an invention, is that a single primer can be used in all cartridges. As such, all cartridges of a particular caliber and size could be made interchangeable between electrically discharged and percussion discharged firearms. This would eliminate the need to maintain inventories for two different cartridge types, and would prevent the possibility of inserting an electrically discharged cartridge into a percussion type firearm and vice versa.
One primer of the past has an electrically conductive powder that required at least 180 volts to fire. This primer was also a dual dischargeable primer. It contained a second type powder that used a mechanical sliding member within the primer to create a spark by friction. Typically, these were designed for military type weapons such as the Navy 20 MM guns, large cannons or mortar type cartridges which can have a large electrical source attached thereto or located nearby. As such, they were never available for modern hand-held firearms. The primers were generally considerably larger to accommodate the dual components, but since they were for large guns, size was not a problem.
More commonly known, the electrically discharged primers use a wire filament. The wire, by necessity, is very small in diameter. The wire must be connected within the primer, and then the primer powder, and perhaps percussion elements, have to be added. There are a large percentage of malfunctions with this design. The small diameter wire often breaks during manufacturing, during installation of the primer powder or the percussion components, or the electrical connection fails for one reason or another. Additionally, there is no control as to where the wire would ignite the primer powder. Ignition could begin at one end, the other end of the wire, or perhaps in the middle some place. There was no consistency, no control.
As modern firearms progress, the location of ignition within the primer can be a factor in the overall performance of the firearm. Therefore, it is highly desirable to have an electrically discharged primer in which the location of the ignition of the primer powder can be controlled for consistency and reliability. Further, it is also very desirable to have an electrically dischargeable primer that is highly reliable, with few if any malfunctions.
Other problems encountered, with the primers of the past, was the complication of manufacturing. Especially, if the primers are made in a dual dischargeable configuration. Many had several components with a complicated interaction. It was very difficult to produce these primers in a cost effective manner. Since most of the dual dischargeable and electrically dischargeable primers were for military applications cost was not one of the primary considerations. They were never widely produced nor available for the general public, nor available for small caliber firearms. Now electrically discharged firearms are being introduced and there is a bigger demand for electrically discharged primers, and especially a primer made with an electrical circuit introduced by this invention.
Additionally, in almost all instances the electrical wire within the primers had to be electrically insulated from other components. Most of these components are very small and during manufacturing they are all pressed or installed within the primer cup. During construction, the electrical wire would often be electrically shorted to other parts or components. A short circuit rendered the primer, and the cartridge thereto, useless and would result in a malfunction or misfire. The electric circuit of this invention is highly reliable and very easily insulated even during the manufacturing process.
In these times, as in the past, a large number of persons reload their casing to save money and for enjoyment. Many of the electrically dischargeable primers of the past could not be installed by an individual, nor were they accepted into the existing shell casings. There had to be special casing or they were integrated with a cartridge casing. The primer using the electric circuit of the present invention is completely interchangeable with the primer as currently used in most ammunition. As such, the primer of this invention can be used by an individual using equipment and supplies at hand and existing shell casings can be used.
As such, an objective of this invention is to provide an electrical circuit for electrically dischargeable primer that can be universally used with all ammunition, for firearms that utilize either an electrically discharged system or firearms that utilize a mechanical firing pin for percussion type discharge. Typical ammunition is discharged with a percussion device, where an impact causes a spark to ignite the powder in the cartridge, which is purely mechanical. Whereas, electrically discharged ammunition requires an electrical current to ignite the powder in the cartridge. The electrical circuit for electrically dischargeable primer of this invention addresses both of these needs.
An additional objective of this invention is to provide an electrical circuit for electrically dischargeable primer, and cartridge thereto, that is interchangeable between firearms of the same caliber and that would work in either an electrically discharged or a standard firearm requiring standard percussion type action.
Yet another objective of this invention is to provide an electrically dischargeable primer that uses only one type of primer powder. A cartridge using only one type of powder is generally cheaper to build, because it is simple in design. A single powder primer, in a dual dischargeable primer, is generally more reliable than a primer having two different types of powders and which requires two different types of structures with the primer for ignition. This eliminates the need for having two types of powder with the primer. This invention eliminates the need for electrically conductive primer powder and provides a means of igniting any of the known primer powders on the market. There is no need of a special primer powder that is especially formulated for ignition by a heated wire filament and another powder for ignition by percussion.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an electrical circuit for electrically dischargeable primers that can be readily incorporated into dual dischargeable primers, to create primers that are highly reliable, providing a primer with very specific burn out locations to control the point of ignition, and that can be easily manufactured in mass to reduce the cost and to compete economically with existing primers on the market. It has been found that a primer made in accordance with this invention is cost comparable to primers currently being manufactured. There are few components which are easily assembled, less likelihood of shorting the components, a higher reliability of firing, and all the components are readily installed in an assembly operation similar to current primers.
Another object of this invention is to provide a primer that is highly reliable and has few, if any, malfunctions when electrically discharged. In accordance with the features of this invention, it has been found there is no breakage of a wire within the primer which created a high number of malfunctions. In addition, the design of this invention creates electrical connections which are more reliable than electrical connection of wires within a primer casing. Additionally, the components are such that there is little likelihood of creating an inadvertent short during assembly and manufacture. As such, an electrically dischargeable primer made with the electrical circuit of this invention is very reliable and cost effective.
Another object of the electrical circuit for electrically dischargeable primers is to create an electrical dischargeable primer that can be completely interchangeable with existing primers. The primer made with the electric circuit of this invention can be installed in existing shell casing in place of standard primers used in the art. As such, primers made using the electrical circuit of this invention are completely interchangeable with currently used cartridges.
The electrical circuit for electrically dischargeable primers of this invention basically consists of an elongated conductive material having a first electrical contact, a bottom plate area, one or more burn out area(s) on the bottom plate area, and a second electrical contact. It can be made with a conductive metal strip or foil, or with a conductive material such as (but not limited to) conductive paint or any conductive liquids which can be dried.
Typically in the embodiments presented herein, the electrical circuit provides a short circuit between the inside bottom surface of a primer cup and the inside surface of the primer cylinder wall. The bottom of the cup must be electrically insulated from the cylinder walls of the primer. The first electrical contact is in electrical contact with the inside surface of the cylinder wall of the primer. The second electrical contact is in electrical contact with the inside bottom surface of the primer cup. The bottom plate area is between the first and second electrical contacts and is positioned in a lower position within the cup. The bottom plate area of the electric circuit has at least one specifically defined burnout area to control the location of the burn and therefore the ignition of the primer powder when an electrical current is applied. The burn out area, or areas, must have a total cross section area smaller than any other cross section area on the electrical circuit. The smaller cross section area of the burn out area allows for a precise location for the electrical circuit to burn and ignite the primer powder. Primer powder is added over the bottom plate with the burnout area within the cup for ignition by the electrical circuit.
Since the bottom plate area of the electric circuit, in the prefered embodiment, is positioned at a bottom location within the primer, there is little likelihood of creating an inadvertent short and virtually no likelihood of breakage.
The electric circuit can be used for either a purely electrically dischargeable primer or it can be used in a dual dischargeable primer in which the primer can be discharged either electrically or mechanically.
The above mentioned and other objects and features of the present invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of the main embodiments thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings.